Australia goes to a federal election on 18 May. While the campaign and political debate has been dominated by domestic policy issues, whichever party wins government will quickly confront the need to deal with a fundamentally changed international order. President Trump’s United States is undermining the global leadership role it has played since 1945. The US–China relationship is mired in talk of a ‘new Cold War’. And the Asia Pacific region — while still the major contributor to global economic growth — faces challenges on everything from the threat to the trade system on which its prosperity has been built, to the North Korean nuclear crisis, climate change, and the flow of refugees.

One of three possible outcomes will likely eventuate by the time the upcoming Indian election reaches its end. First, Prime Minister Modi leads the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to an emphatic victory and emerges with a significant single-party majority in the 543 member Lok Sabha. This is not being accorded a ‘high’ degree of probability in the closing weeks of a long, drawn out election campaign. Read more…

In 2011, the International Energy Agency (IEA)a ‘golden age’ of gas, where natural gas would be a Old Coin Operated Score Keeper of Horse shoes Toss Game with Key RARE & VINTAGE’ between coal and renewable energy over the next two decades. But weak demand for natural gas in Asia in 2013–15 forced the IEA to step back in June 2015 from its previously optimistic projection, concluding: ‘In a world of very cheap coal and falling costs for renewables, it was difficult for gas to compete’. Even so, the demand for natural gas in East Asia has still significantly increased after 2015, especially in South Korea and China. OLD SCHOOL 1985 HARO FREESTYLER SPORT. ( All parts )

A comprehensive multi-stage value-added tax (VAT) system, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), was introduced in India on 1 July 2017. The GST encompasses various indirect taxes from union and state tax bases. In a federal system, the harmonisation of tax rules, regulations, rates, processes and procedures across states is expected to improve the ease of doing business, encourage investment and produce economic growth.

In November 2018, when meeting with representatives from Hong Kong and Macao, China’s President Xi Jinping said that the two cities have made ‘enormous contributions’ and played ‘irreplaceable’ roles in the motherland’s reform and opening-up

Author: Wu Riqiang, Harvard Kennedy School and Renmin University of China

It seems that the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty is coming to an end. The Treaty prohibits the United States and Russia from possessing, producing or testing land-based ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500–5500 kilometres, including both conventional and nuclear-armed missiles. Read more…

When Pakatan Harapan unexpectedly secured power after Malaysia’s 14th General Elections (GE14) in May 2018, voters expected the coalition and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to dismantle the well-entrenched government–business institutional framework that had contributed to extensive clientelism, collusion, nepotism and embezzlement. After all, the institutionalisation of more transparent and accountable governance was a Pakatan campaign pledge.

The global trade system is under greater stress than at any other time since its inception. The most significant trade war in almost a century lumbers on, tit-for-tat trade restrictions are becoming increasingly commonplace, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) appears incapable of restoring order. Read more…

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